Alternative markets fail to fully offset 15.8 decrease in Turkey's Jan-Sep 2026 HRC exports

In September this year, Turkey's hot rolled coil (HRC) exports amounted to 202,369 metric tons, down by 21.6 percent compared to August and down by 32.9 percent year on year, according to the preliminary data provided by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK). Meanwhile, the revenue generated by these exports totaled $122.24 million, decreasing by 22.7 percent compared to the previous month and down by 27.5 percent year on year.

In the first nine months of this year, Turkey's HRC exports amounted to 1.93 million mt, down 15.8 percent, while the value of these exports decreased by 13.7 percent to $1.15 billion, both year on year.

Turkey's hot rolled coil exports - last 12 months

In the given period, Turkey's largest HRC export destination was Italy with 450,376 mt, down by 36.2 percent year on year. Italy was followed by Spain with 240,052 mt, down by 37.6 percent, and Bulgaria with 124,584 mt, up by 397.5 percent year on year.

Overall, the data show that the losses in Turkey's traditional EU HRC export markets have deepened, while strong growth has been recorded in some alternative markets. However, the sharp month-on-month and year-on-year decline in September indicates that export momentum weakened again at the end of the third quarter.

Turkey's top 10 HRC export destinations in the January-September period:

Shares in Turkey's hot rolled coil exports - January-September 2026